Musical tap dancing shoe



Jan. 9, 1934. E ANDl 1,943,222

MUSICAL TAP DANCING SHOE Filed Jan. 16, 1933 EMHNUELE L HND! INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to dancing shoes and particularly to tap dancing shoes.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a tap dancing shoe with musical means adapted to be actuated while dancing.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the same from a reading of the following speciiication.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of the application, with the understanding, however, that the improvement is capa- 35 ble of extended application and is not confined to the eXact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not aiect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of the front part of the dancing shoe and shows my invention secured to the bottom of the shoe.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the portion of the musical device attached to the shoe.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof; the numeral 5 indicates a tap dancing shoe having a sole 6 to the bottom of which is secured a metal plate '7 by means of fastening elements 8. A portion of the sole 5 is cut out to accommodate a raised or bossed portion 7a of said plate. A pair of lugs 9 depend from the bossed portion 'la of the plate 7 and carry a pin 10 on which is pivotally mounted a lever ll which constitutes a hammer for ringinU a bell 12. The hammer is actuated to ring the bell by the impact against the floor of a plunger 13 which is thereby moved upwardly against the power arm of the lever 11 to move the weight arm or other end of the lever against the bell.

The plunger 13 is normally held in lowermost position by means of a helical spring 15 which surrounds a reduced portion 16 of the plunger. The weight arm of the lever 11 is normally held in uppermost position by means of a transverse spring 18 under said arm, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the power arm being thereby held in lowermost position against the upper end of the plunger 15, which end is a disc of larger diameter than the reduced portion 16 of the plunger,

(Cl. Sii- 8.3)

as shown in Fig. 2, the disc being provided to prevent the plunger from falling out of a hollow cylindrical member 19 in which it moves, said member 19 being screwed at its upper end to the plate '7. 60

A felt washer 21 encircles the member 19 and is disposed between and is in contact with the plate 7 and the upper surface of the bell 12. A similar washer 23 encircles the member 19 and I is disposed between and is in contact with the lower surface of the bell 12 and the upper surface of a ange 19a formed at the lower end of the member 19. The plunger 13 terminates in a button 13a, which is normally held below a metal plate 25 which is secured to the plate 7 by means 70 of fastening elements 26. One of said fastening elements 26 passes thru the up-turned front end portion of the plate 25 and into the depending flange '7b of the plate 7, The plunger 13 is therefore moved upwardly when the button 13a is 75 impacted against the oor. A recess 28 is formed in the plate 25, into which recess the button 13a enters when raised by impact against the iioor. Centrally of the recess 28 an aperture is provided in the plate 25 through which the plunger passes. 50

Apertures 29 are formed in the bottom of the plate 25 so that sounds may be emitted therethrough, the lower surface of said plate 25 being convex so that the front and side margins of the plate, in which positions the apertures are formed, do not contact the floor, thus providing for the escape of the sound.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a dancing shoe of a casing secured to and partly set in the sole of the shoe and having an arcuate bottom positioned at an angle to the sole, a bell within said casing and including a shell and a pivotally mounted hammer, a vertical plunger adapted to contact the floor and when impacted thereagainst to cause the hammer to strike said shell, spring means normally holding said hammer away from said shell, and spring means normally holding the lower end of said plunger below the bottom of said casing, the latter having openings for 103 emitting sounds.

EMANUELE LANDI. 

